Kerala CMO interfering in Sabarimala SIT probe through two IPS officers: VD Satheesan

Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Tuesday made serious allegations against Kerala Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). He said the CMO is putting pressure on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold heist case through two senior IPS officers.

Speaking to media persons in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, he alleged that the two senior IPS officers, at the behest of the CMO, are exerting intense pressure on the SIT probing the case. “Two senior IPS officers are putting a lot of pressure on the SIT at the behest of the Chief Minister’s Office. Out of propriety, I will not mention their names. Please do not compel me to name them. The two officers assigned by the CMO are putting undue pressure on the SIT and trying to influence the probe. Both of them should be withdrawn from the case, otherwise the names of the two senior IPS officers will be revealed,” Satheesan said.

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He said the Congress is closely monitoring the probe and would point out any lapses in the investigation. “This is a case of looting Ayyappan’s gold. The investigation should proceed honestly. We will monitor the investigation carefully. We will point out wherever there is a lapse. The court has given a clear opinion on the slow progress of the investigation. It is expected that the investigation will proceed in the right earnest with the court’s intervention. Let’s move forward. I do not express any distrust in the SIT yet. There is pressure on them. There was pressure before Vasu was arrested. But they overcame it. We believe that the big sharks will be brought to justice,” he said

Satheesan further said that the Congress was the first to demand a CBI investigation in the gold loot case, but did not insist on it, because the high court took the matter seriously. “We were the ones who had demanded a CBI investigation in the Sabarimala gold robbery case. The reason we did not insist on it is because the Keral a High Court took the matter seriously. If the court had not intervened, this theft would have continued. The theft in 2019 would have happened in 2024 as well. The SIT was appointed with the direct intervention of the High Court. That is why we supported it.,” he said

The Congress leader further said that during the local body elections, the investigation slowed down under pressure from the CMO. “The observation made by the high court confirms the allegations we made in this regard. The court can know more accurately than us where the investigation is standing and where it is stalling. Now that the High Court has intervened, I think the investigation will move forward in a good manner,” VD Satheesan said.

“We will wait for a few more days to assess how the SIT probe progresses and we expect that the situation should not reach a stage where a CBI investigation becomes inevitable,” he added.

Meanwhile, the CBI has informed the Kerala High Court that it would investigate the case if the court directs it. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar approached the high court demanding a CBI investigation into the Sabarimala gold looting. The court had sought responses from the state government, CBI and CAG on the petition.